[Note: I’m running a Q&A series all the rest of December on DennisKennedy.Blog (details here).]

Will You Be Speaking at ABA TECHSHOW?

The answer is: Yes, I have been invited to speak at two sessions. I definitely want to make my return to ABA TECHSHOW after the blood clot in my leg last spring forced me to cancel my trip to ABA TECHSHOW 2012.

ABA TECHSHOW 2013 will be held April 4 – 6, 2013. If you are interested in learning practical ways lawyers can use technology better, it’s the place to be.

On Thursday, April 4, from 2:00 to 3:00, I’ll be co-presenting with Allison Shields a session called “Leveraging LinkedIn & Finagling Facebook: Building Relevance on Leading Social Media.” It’s on the Social Media Track and is labeled for an “Intermediate” audience. Here’s the description from the schedule:

LinkedIn is no longer just “the professional’s” social network any more than Facebook is just the “personal” social network. The volume of users and traffic requires that you market to both. Learn how to derive value from both of these essential platforms. Explore the differences, identify necessary information to complete profiles, and learn valuable insights into the best features. Review tools to maximize the benefits of these services, and acquire up-to-date information needed to customize privacy settings to avoid ethical pitfalls.

I wanted to be clear that I wouldn’t have chosen the word “finagling” to use in this title and am not quite sure how it’s being used, but let’s agree to use the word in the sense of one of its dictionary meanings: “to plan out usually with subtle skill or care.” Maybe we can get the title changed.

The second session I’m scheduled for will be with Patrick Crowley and is simply called “Mobile Collaboration.” It will be on Friday, April 5, from 2:30 to 3:30. It’s labeled for an “Introductory” audience. Here’s the description:

Technology can cut the costs of working with others in a variety of locations, locally or abroad. Google+ Hangouts, Facetime, Google Drive, Cloud Connect, SharePoint and others can help you not just keep in touch, but collaborate with other lawyers in your firm, co-counsel, or clients in real time. Learn how you can utilize your mobile device to provide better service to your clients by sharing documents, developing ideas, and boosting your productivity whether you’re in or out of the office.

I have written a new article about mobile collaboration that is scheduled to appear in the Law Practice Today webzine in January. Mobile collaboration will be one of the hot topics in legal tech in 2013, so I’m excited to get the chance to speak at this session.

Although not yet finalized, I’m expecting to be co-hosting a Taste of TECHSHOW dinner event with Allison Shields with a social media theme and another with Tom Mighell, probably with a future of legal technology theme. Watch for the opportunity to sign up for the dinners on the TECHSHOW website.

Hope to see you there. If you are a reader of this blog, please introduce yourself. I always enjoy speaking with readers of my blog.

If you have a question for me to answer in this series, you may submit it for me through the usual channels – email at denniskennedyblog @ gmail . com, a comment left on the original post about the Q&A series, this post or a subsequent post, or through Twitter (@dkennedyblog), or whatever other way you want to reach me.

Facebook is rapidly approaching 1 BILLION users. Now the largest – and most active – social media platform in the world, long gone are the days of it being a network for college kids. Instead individuals, professionals and businesses alike use the site to connect with each other and share information every day. Increasingly Facebook profiles and pages are also showing up in search results. But what does this all mean for the legal industry? Lawyers may understand how Facebook works, but are hesitant to participate for a variety of reasons. Others are excited to jump in, but aren’t sure where to start or what it will take to be successful. In this webinar Dennis Kennedy, lawyer and co-author of the new book Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers, published by the ABA Law Practice Management Section, will provide attendees with strategies, lessons and tips for using Facebook to achieve personal and professional goals.

Lawyers who attend this webinar will learn about:

– How to determine if Facebook is right for you and your practice – How to set up a personal and a professional Facebook presence – The ever-evolving security and privacy settings – Content creation, making connections and growing your network – Facebook’s latest announcements and advanced features

I’ll cover some of the main topics and themes of the new book, Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers, Allison Shields and I wrote, including quite a few of the practical tips in the book. The webinar will be appropriate for Facebook beginners, although I’ll touch on a number of topics and strategies for more advanced users. Also, while the focus will be on use of Facebook by lawyers, I think that the potential audience extends beyond lawyers.

If you plan to attend the webinar and have any questions or topics you’d like me to address, let me know. Register for the free webinar here.

This book is our “sequel” to LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers, which was published earlier this year. In fact, what I mainly remember about the publication of the LinkedIn book was how fast the deadline for the first draft of the Facebook book was approaching.

We’re quite pleased with the way Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers turned out, although we stretch the concept of “in one hour” well past the breaking point. You’ll get a lot of value in this book. I did prove that it is possible to read the main section of this book in one hour, but I’m a really fast reader.

I believe that the book is still technically in the pre-order period and is available with a 15% discount as a pre-order. We’re excited about this book and think you will be, too. If your firm or organization might consider using the book for social media training efforts, let me know and I can put you in touch with our publishing contacts for info about volume discounts. If you might be interested in a review copy (and have an audience that will appreciate the review), let me know. And, of course, don’t forget about LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers.

Although, frankly, I expect the only book Allison and I might consider next would be “Resting Up after Writing Two Books in Less Than a Year in One Hour for Lawyers,” I have grown fond of the “in One Hour” format and I think it has a lot of potential. I’ll be the Vice-chair of the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s Publishing Board this year and would be happy to hear any topics for an “in One Hour” book that you know that you would definitely buy.

With the IPO of Facebook fast approaching, interest in Facebook is reaching a fever pitch. As a result, even lawyers are starting to take notice of Facebook and how they might use it personally and professionally.

I’ll be co-presenting with Allison Shields on a May 17 webinar on “Facebook for Lawyers” (a joint production of ALI-CLE and the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section) and there’s still time to register. Details here. This presentation will have a highly practical focus and we’ll concentrate on ways to help you actually use Facebook rather than the all-too-common approach of worrying about a parade of Facebook risks.

Allison has more details and some Facebook tips here. Allison and I just did a well-received presentation on this topic, with a great audience who asked a lot of questions. That audience was the first audience we’ve seen where every attendee had a Facebook account. We’ll incorporate what we learned about what issues are important to lawyers from those questions into this webinar presentation. If you are using Facebook, it only makes sense to learn how to use it well.

As the perceptive reader will guess, you can also expect to see a new book from Allison and me called “Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers” later this summer, possibly in early August. The May 17 webinar will give you a good preview of the book.

As the number of Facebook users approaches the one billion mark, lawyers are starting to take interest in Facebook and how they might use it.

I’ll be co-presenting with Allison Shields at an upcoming presentation and a webinar on the “Facebook for Lawyers” topic.

First, this Friday, May 4, if you are in the San Francisco area or are attending the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s Spring Meeting in Napa, you can see our live presentation called, simply enough, “Facebook for Lawyers.” Details here.

As the perceptive reader will guess, you can also expect to see a new book from Allison and me called Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers later this summer. Both the May 4 presentation and the May 17 webinar can be expected to give you a preview of the book.

Dennis Kennedy

DennisKennedy.Blog was launched on February 15, 2003.

Dennis Kennedy is one of the few technology lawyers who is also an expert on the underlying technologies. Dennis an award-winning leader in the application of technology and the Internet to the practice of law.

This site gives you access to a wide variety of Dennis Kennedy's writings and information about how you can have Dennis speak to your organization or group.

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Dennis Kennedy is one of the most knowledgeable legal technologists you will find. - Michael Arkfeld.

Dennis Kennedy, a lawyer and legal technology expert in St. Louis, Mo., has been a significant influence in the ever-evolving relationship between lawyers and the Web. - Robert Ambrogi